Laundry machine



Dec. 12, 1933. J. N. WHITE LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed June 20. 1930 5Sheets-Sheet l Q gmxmtov B LIa mesNWhi/le iehead 2,16 1, 6M4

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Dec. 12, 1933. WHITE 1,938,676

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J. N. WHITE LAUNDRY MACHINE Dec. 12, 1933. 1,938,676

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Patented Dec. 12, 1933 1,938,676 LAUNDRY MACHINE James N. White, Denver,Colo.

Application June 20, 1930, Serial No. 462,655,

' and in Canada April 30, 1930 8 Claim.

This invention relates to cylinder laundry machines, and particularly tothat class thereof in which there is a revolubly mounted cylindricalclothes container (hereinafter referred to as the cage) having apartially cylindrical tub normally enclosing the lower part of the cage,for holding liquid to immerse such lower part.

An object of the invention is the improvement of a machine of said classin which'the tub'is partially, preferably about semi, cylindrical, andis in outside nested relation-with the cage and is adapted to berevolved about the axis of the cage for either dumpingthe fluid or foruncovering the bottom of the cage to permit clothes to be dropped fromthe cage. Such a machine is described in my pending application, SerialNo. 411,061, filed December 2, 1929, and the improvement of a machinesuch as that therein described and claimed is one of the objects hereof.I 1

Further objects are the provision of improvement in the structure of theupper portion or cover, including associated parts, in the fluidinletstructure, including associated parts, and in supporting and rotatingmechanism for tubs of larger size.

The objects, including those above mentioned, will more fully appearfrom the following specification, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which like characters of reference indicate correspondi gparts throughout, and in which a Figure 1 is a front elevation, withportions broken away, of a machine of the smaller type,

" requiring driving mechanism for cage and rotating mechanism for tub atone end only. The fluid-inlet-assembly illustrated at the left of thisfigure need not be used complete where it is not adjacent drivingmechanism, but is nevertheless shown complete in this figure.

Figure 2'is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the tub andassociated parts in normal position for washing operation.

Figure 3 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but showing the tub andassociated parts in position at the extreme of the fluid-dumpingmovement.

Figure 4 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but showing the tub andassociated parts and the cage at the ends of their respective move mentsin the operation of dumping the clothes.

Figure 5 is a detail, partly in elevation and partly in section, of thefluid-inlet-assembly and associated parts.

Figure 6 is a vertical center section of the structure illustrated inFig. 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of the inside of the end of the tub,showing the down-spout of the fluid-inlet-assembly.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Figure 9 is a view in the same position as Fig. 8, but showing amodified structure of the fluid passages in the supporting member andbearing.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of a portion of a machine of the largertype, showing the improved fluid-inlet structure at one end and theimproved tub-supporting and rotating structure at the center, thecentral portion of the machine being at the left of this figure.

Figure 11 is a view on line 11--11 of Fig. 10, giving-a side elevationof the central supporting tub-rotating structure, indicating the tub insection and indicating the cage in dotted lines.

The machines will be described in terms of description of a washingmachine, but, as with the machine described in my aforesaid pendingapplication, the same may likewise be used for drying and for dyeingclothes, and may be used for various of these operations or parts of theoperations, with the respective parts of the ma chine in variousrespective positions according to the requirements of the particularoperation being performed, all of which will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art and in the performance of the operations of washing,rinsing, bluing, drying, dyeing, etc. No changes whatsoever in thestructure here disclosed are necessary, and such changes as might beconvenient for any of said operations would not affect the presentinvention and would be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore,the details of such various operations and obvious changes in structurewill not be described herein.

It will also be understood that many changes may be made in details ofthe construction herein disclosed without departing from the spirit orsubstance of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

In suitable supporting members 1, which may be bolted to the floor as at2, I provide bearings 3, having exterior bearing surface for the ring 4,of spider 5 aflixed, as by bolts 6, to the disk 7', forming the end ofthe tub-and-cover-assembly hereinafter described, whereby thetub-andcover-assembly is rotatable upon the bearing 3.

In thejnterior of the machine and in nested relation to the said tub andcover structure, I

shown as'formed of wood staves, with fluidinlet slots 9 therebetween.Thecage is carried by gudgeons 10, rotatable in the bearings 3 andattached to the cage by any suitable means, as

8 by bolted plate 10a.

The tub '1 is carried by the disks '7' and may be formed integraltherewith, as indicated at Fig. 1, the tub being preferablyapproximately semi-cylindrical, the rear edge thereof being designatedby the numeral 7a, and when the tub is in normal washing position itencloses the lower portion of the cage 8, as clearly showrr same beinghere'"shown as extending to the bottom of the machine and terminating inan apron 13 for guiding such fluid to a drain'or trough 27. a

Carried by the disks '7' in flxed relation to the tub 7, and preferablyupon the same radius,

I provide a cover member 14, having doorways and doors therein, ashereinafter described, the portions of said cover adjacent said doorwaysconsisting of bands 15, which comprise run-ways 16 for the doorshereinafter described, and which bands extend from the solid portion ofthe .cover designated as 14 through the space occupied by the doors tothe stop 17 for the lower edge of the doors.

The cage Bis revolved by means of power supplied from any suitablesource to pulley 18, which conventionally indicates the commonthree-pulley construction for' imparting alternating rotation to thecage. This construction is standard,-and only two pulleys are shown inFig. 1. The three pulleys are shown in Fig. 10,

.but the construction is common knowledge to those. skilledin the art,and will not be further described except to say that in usual practicethe driving belt shifts back and forth, cverth'e three pulleys so as tofirst rotate the cage a desired number of turns, usually two andonehalf, in one direction, the direction of rotation being thenreversedand the cage rotated a like number of times in the opposite direction,etc.

The shait 19 mounted for rotation in either direction in the bearings20, carried on theupper portions of supporting members 1, transmitspower from the pulleys to the pinion 21, and thence to the driving gear22 fixedly mounted on the end of the gudgeon l0.

Worm drive 23 is provided for rotating the tub and associatedparts andmay be affixed to the spider 5 by any suitable. means, as by extension40 of the'ring4. The worm 24, carried and rotated by any suitable means,as motor 25, supported on bracket 26, meshes with'the drive 23 androtates the same in either direction, ac-

cording to the direction of rotation of the motor 25, which, it will beunderstood, may be rotated in either direction, as desired.

The cage 8 is provided with doorways 28, normally covered by slidingdoors 29, while the spaces between the strips 15 of the cover 14 formdoorways, which are normally covered by .doors 30, sliding in therun-ways 16.

In order to supply washing, rinsing, bluing, or other fluid to theinterior of the tub 7 without interruptionof the operation of themachine, I provide means for conducting fluid into the interior of thetub through'.the bearing member 3, and between its interior bearingsurface adjacent the gudgeon 10 and its eiiterior bearing surfaceadjacent the ring 4 and the inner edge of the disk 7. This conduit isdesignated as 31, and the inner end thereof is inclosed by' a'suitabledown-spout 32 of comparatively thin construction, so as to clear boththe inner side of disk 7- and the bolted plate 100.. The thinness of thedown-spout requires a compensating breadth the'reoL, as clearly shown inFig. 7,- in order to admit fluid in sufll cient quantites and withsuilicient rapidity. The down-spout has an opening 32a for admitting thefluid to the space between the cage 8 and the tub 'I, as clearly shownat Fig. 5.

' In constructing certain machines according to the present invention;parts of standard ma chines now in common use maybe used, and many suchmachines have drive wheels for the cage at both ends -of the machine,and some such machines have other mechanism which would render itdifllcult or impossible to enter l00 the bearing 3 with a conduitparallel to the gudgeon 10. Likewise, in constructing certain machinesembodying the present invention, it would be found desirable to providesuch drive" wheels or other parts which would render it'105 diflicult orimpossible to enter the bearing from the outer end and in a lineparallel to the gudgeon 10. In order to provide a suitable fluid-inletfor such cases, I form either an annular conduit 33 in the bearing, saidconduit connecting with the conduit 31, both as clearly shown at Figs.1, 5, 6, and 8, and thread through the bearing a pipe 34 leading fromany suitable source of supply and entering bearing 3 in the verticalplane of the supporting member 1,,or I [15 provide a modified structure,as illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein pipe 34 connects with a conduit 35,formed in bearing support 36, and which .conduit communicates withconduit/31 in the bearing.

When no drive wheel or other structure interferes with entering bearing3 by a conduit parallel to the gudgeon 10, the conduit 31 may beextended to the outer end of the hearing, as

indicated in dotted lines at 31a at the left oi Fig. 1.

The'operationof the structure disclosed in' the'flrst nine figures anddescribed in the speciflcation'up to this point will now be described,

but it will be understood that, so far as the handling of clothes forwashing, rinsing, bluing, drying, or any other operations is concerned,the structures disclosed in Figs. 10 and 11 and to be later described,operate,the machine in just the same way, so far as the handling of theclothes and fluid is concerned, as the operation which will now bedescribed.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art of constructing, aswell as by those familiar with the operation of, modernl'aundrymachinery, that the handling of the clothes by the washingmachine from the time the wash is commenced until the rinsing or bluingis completed, requires a--number of successive changes of the fluid, andthat these changes should be made as quickly as possible, and that thereshouldbe as little as possible of interruption of the alternating of theclothes-containing cage, and that .the time during which said cage isbeing operated without sufilcient amount of fluid in the tub to suitablysupport or float the clothes within the cage, should be reduced to theminimum. The operation of the cage Without suflicient fluid in the tubis not only a waste of power and time, but tends to damage the clothes.Not only is it desirable to shorten to the minimum the period of timewhen there is less than the proper operating quantity of fluid withinthe tub, but a quick andefiective elimination of the fluid from the tubis desirable also in order to rid the tub of dirt and settlings. A slowdrainage of the fluid leaves a considerable amount of settlings in thetub and thus pollutes the next succeeding fluid or requires anintermediate rinsing of the tub.-

My invention provides not only for the shortening to the minimum offtheperiod when there is less than the proper operating quantity of fluid inthe tub, but provides for the emptying of fluid from the tub in such amanner as to practically wash the tub and rid it of all dirt orsettlings.

Moreover, the emptying of the finished clothes from the tub has longbeen a serious problem in the development of modern washing machines,and many structures both expensive and inemcient have been resorted-tofor unloading the washing machine at the front. Unloading the machine atthe front results in spilling the liquid dropping from the clothes ontothe space occupied by the operator of the machine, which is usually alsoa passage-way for various operatives between rows of machines, andtherefore any unloading of the machines from the front results inkeeping such passage-way flooded and necessitates the use of water-proofcoverings by the operatives, and results in a general splashing of thefluid on the operatives and adjacent apparatus, and'in creating ageneral unsanitary condition.

For the purpose of loading dry clothes into the washing machine, it isdesirable to raise the machine higher than the machines now in commonuse, because the operative can more easily load the machine if it ishigh enough so that he can stand upright in so doing, The raising of themachine to such height is, however, impractical with the means now inuse, because the unloading operation as usually performed from the frontof the machine could not be satisfactorily performed with the machineraised to the height which would be desirable for the loading operation.

It is obvious, also, that unloading wet clothes from a washing machineby any other means than by permitting such clothes to drop by gravity,requires a large amount of time and power, either human or machine, andan accompanying loss of time.

For the above, as well as for other reasons, which will be obvious tothose skilled in the art, it is desirable to provide for the dropping ofthe clothes from the machine by gravity.

The quick and effective emptying of fluid from the machine, shorteningthe time when there .is less than the proper operating quantity of vfluid in the machine, and the emptying of the finished clothes solely bygravity and at the bottom of the machine are all accomplished by thestructure disclosed in my aforesaid pending application, and likewise bythe structure herein disclosed and claimed.

In operation, the cage 8 and the tub 7 are in position shown in Fig. 2,and in this position the doors 29 and are open, thereby affording freeaccess to the interior of cage 8 through the doorways for loading themachine with clothes. The washing fluid is let into the tub 7 throughthe fluid-inlet means above described to' the desired height in the tub,and preferably before the machine is loaded. When the machine is loaded,the doors 29 and 30 are closed and the cage is then rotated the desirednumber of times in each direction alternately as above described forwashing the clothes in the washing fluid. When the operation in thefirst fluid has been carried on to the desired number of times, themotor 25 is operated to rotate the tub and associated parts forwardly tothe position shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that as the tubrotates the contained fluid will flow out over the edge 'Ia and will becaught by the flange 7b and guided to the inside of the guide member11a, whence it will flow down over the apron 13 into the drain 2'7, andwhen the edge 7a reaches the bottom of the machine, the fluid will havebeen dumped from the machine so rapidly that the tub will have beensubstantially washed by the out-flow of the fluid. It will be understoodthat any suitaLle automatic reversing mechanism may .be coordinated withthe motor 25 whereby when the edge 7a has reached the desired point themotor will automatically reverse and rotate the tub and the associatedparts back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and it will also beunderstood that the next successive supply of fluid may be admittedthrough the fluid-inlet means above described as soon as reverserotation of the tub begins, so that the tub will be immediately filledto the desired height with fluid, thus shortening to the minimum thetime when there is less than the desired amount of fluid within the tub.

In the ordinary handling of clothes, eight or ten successive fluids arecommonly used for washing, rinsing, and bluing, and the saving of timeand other advantages above described are accomplished at each one of theeight or ten successive operations.

When the handling of the clothes in the washing machine has beencompleted, and the clothes are ready to be removed therefrom, the doors30 and 29 are opened, and the motor 25 is oper' ated to rotate the tubto the position shown in Fig. 4, and the cage is also operated by itsrotating mechanism to invert the cage to the position also shown in Fig.4, whereupon the clothes are dropped by gravity from the cage throughthe doorways 28 and into any suitable receptacle which may be placedbeneath the machine.

It will be noted that in this structure there are no pipes or valves orother projections from the bottom of the machine other than the apron13, which may be positioned as far to the back of the machine asdesired, so that a clear and unobstructed space is provided beneath themachine for the accommodation of any receptacle or conveying means intowhich it is desired to drop the clothes.

In machines of the larger type, it is desirable to provide supportingand rotating means for the tub and associated parts near thelongitudinal center thereof, and my improved structure for this purposeis illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11,.

and while various changesin the details of said structure will occur tothose skilled in the art and within the spirit and scope of thisspeciflcation and the appended claims, the preferred form of suchcombined supporting and rotating structure is as illustrated in saidfigures, and consists ot a casting formed in three pieces, 3'7, 38, and39, bolted together as I encircling. the machine. Suitable bearings onwhich the tub and associated'parts may rotate are provided in thecasting, as rollers 43. A band 'verslng motor "47 through pinion 48 andgear drive 49. In this preferred form,- the band 44 comprises also atrack 50 for bearing upon the rollers 43, and in this preferred form thetrack 50 is provided by splitting or grooving worm ring 45, thus forminga track in the center thereof. It will be understood that the relativeposition of the worm ring 45 and the track may be changed as desired.

The edges 51 of. the band 44 form a portion of the run-ways for thedoors 30. .In Fig. 11, the structure of the tub and associated parts,there indicated in cross-section, is illustrated only conventionally,and the details of the tub and associated parts as illustrated in thisfigure are to be considered only as conventional illustration in so faras they vary from the details of this structure, shown in Figs. 2 and 4.Likewise, in Fig. 11 the down-spout 32 is generally 'or conventionallyillustrated, but the disclosure in this flgure is not to be consideredin so far as it differs from the disclosure in Figs. 1, 5, (5,

and 7, which are designed to show the preferred construction thereof. v

The provision of the improved combined central supportingand rotatingmechanism illustratedin Figs. iii and 11 has many advantages, which willbe obvious to those skilled in the art,

:such 'as' preventing the sagging of the central portion of thestructure: in the case of long "machines, preventing the twisting of thetub and associated parts, which would tend to result from the rotationof a longtub from one end only, and the obvious advantage of a singlerotating mechanism in place of rotating mechanisms at both ends ofthemachine, which would be necessary for emcient and economicaloperationof a long machine.

Flanges 52 may be. provided for covering the sides of the worm ring, andthus more fully enclosing the same to prevent accidents to operativesand to guard against the entanglement of articles in the ring'as it isrotated.

I I claim: e

1. In a laundry machine having a clothes-containing rotatable. cage, asubstantially semi-cylindrical tub .in outside nested relation to thecage and rotatable about the axis of the cage,

a substantially semi-cylindrical cover rotatable in flxed relation withthe tub 'and,havin'g substantially the same radius as the tub, the coverand tub being spaced apart at the upper edge of the tub to permit fluidto escape over the edge of the tub, and a stationary guide memberoutside the tub and adjacent said upper edge of the tub and adapted todirect downwardly any fluid escaping over said edge of the tub.

2. In a laundry machine having a clothes-containing rotatable cage, asubstantially semi-cylindrical tub in outside nested relation to thecage and rotatable about the axis of the cage, a substantiallysemi-cylindrical cover adapted to jlrotatein fl'xed relation to the tuband havins at 40, 41, and 42, and

' over said edge.

3. In a laundry machine having a clothes-containing rotatable cage, asubstantially semi-cylindrical tub in outside nested relation to thecage and rotatable about the axis of the cage, a substantiallysemi-cylindrical cover rotatable in fixedrelation to the tub and havingsubstantially the same radius as the tub, said cover being spaced fromthe upper edge of the tub to permit fluid to escape over said edge, astationary guide member outside the tub and adjacent said upper edge ofthe tub and adapted. to direct downwardly any fluid escaping over saidedge of the tub, and a member carried by said combined tub and cover andadapted to guide any fluid escaping ovensaid edge of the tub to a pointwithin said stationary guide member.

4. In a laundry machine having a clothes-containing rotatable cage and atub in outside nested relation to the cage and rotatable with, butindependently of, the cage, means for rotating the tub and anapproximately semi-cylindrical cover for the tub and cage carried by androtatable with the tub in flxed relation therewith, but spaced therefromto form a slot for escape of fluid when the tub is rotated.

5. In a laundry machine having a clothes-containing,rotatable cage, arotatable cylindrical casing in nestedoutside relation to the cage andincluding a tub and-a cover portion spaced from the tub to form afluidescape slot at the rear, doorways in the front portion of thecover, means for rotating the casing to bring said doorways to thebottom thereof for uncovering the under side of the cage, and means forrotating the cage to drop clothes from the cage through said doorways.

6. In a laundry mac taining rotatable cage, a rotatable cylindricalcasing in nested outside relation to the cage and including a tub and acover portion spaced from thetub to form a fluid escape slot at therear,

e having a clothes-con- 1 doorways in the cover portion, said tubnormally 1 enclosing the lower part of the cage, and means for rotatingthe casing in either direction from said normal pomtion to empty fluidthrough said slot when rotated in one direction and for bringing saiddoorways to the bottom for uncovering the underside of cage to permitclothes to be dropped from the cage through said doorways when thecasing is rotated in the other direction.

' 7. In a laundry machine having a nested relation a rotatableclothes-containing cage and a tub rotatable concentrically with thecage, a stationary bearing member having an inner bearing upon whichsaid cage is adapted to rotate and an outer bearing upon which said tubis adapted to rotate, a bearing assembly including said stationarybearing member and a con;

.duit entering the tub through said stationary nd a cover portion. 0

V 1,988,676 said cover portion being provided with nmways carryin on itsouter side, a track adapted to roll on said roller supports, said bandalso carrying means for eng ging a power transmitting member, whereby torotate said casing on said roller supports when power is "transmitted.

through said member.

JAMES N. WHITE.

